Hassas- Pt 4

*****

Next few scenes are not necessarily in order. They're from the time when Mayza was married to Ahan!

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They say marriage is supposed to be beautiful- a beauty with both ups and downs, with both smiles and tears, with both silly interactions to mildly serious arguments but what they never told to Mayza was how cruel fate could be at times, how a person would give everything to that one relation yet all she/ he ever got was blame, insults and mocking condolences.

She had been married to Ahan Ahmed for 8 months and throughout those months, many things had taken place- the most prominent was Mayza's loss of happiness and confidence.

She had never thought that saying 'yes' to a proposal that she thought would weave a fairytale of her own would turn into something so disastrous that even the thought of a happily ever after frightened her to the core. Her heart was scarred and her dignity was still waiting to re-built its foundations.

"Ahan, how do I look?"

It was their 6 months anniversary into the marriage and Mayza had planned a whole lot of things for the day. An outing at a nearby garden, a home-made dinner where she spent hours making every dish that he'd love and then spent the night cuddling and sharing little secrets that'd make the two laugh and giggle.

Mayza waited for a response as she stood in the emerald churidar with intricate designs of floral patterns interlinked through beautiful white and golden threads. She had put a great deal of effort in getting ready and her heart skipped a giddy beat on the potential compliments that her husband might shower her with.

Seconds passed and Ahan finally made the effort to look up from his laptop. His nose scrunched at the sight of Mayza dressed in traditional wear. Giving a light rub to his temple, he forced a smile on his face and Mayza saw right through the act. Her heart hurt at the reaction but it broke due to what he said next.

"Why that though? It's giving behenji vibes. Maybe something modern would do?"

Mayza found comfort in light traditional wear. She preferred dressing up according to her culture during special occasions but looks like more than a few habits of hers would be forced to change.

Not wanting to argue with him, Mayza gave him a broken smile and changed into something modernly formal. That too, did not get her a compliment but the appreciative nod that Ahan gave her made her feel accomplished.

But the real question here was, until when?

*****

Life had turned into a dark tunnel for Mayza. Her nights were spent in all the efforts to avoid any physical touch that might take place between her and Ahan. Yes, they had intercourse on their first night- the night when Mayza thought that the touch would make her feel most cherished, it left her feeling uncomfortable and with the thoughts of not-being good enough.

She was left to endure the pain her body was in while he had drifted off to sleep on his side of the bed, not even turning to ask if she was okay. Tears streamed down her face that night, but not because of the body ache- no, it was her heart who had paid the price.

"Mayza, yeh kya banaya hai?"

Her mother-in-law spit the morsel of paratha on her plate. Mayza felt a tremor run down her spine at the reaction. She wasn't very good at cooking though she had tried. Her panicked eyes looked at her husband who looked ready to flee.

Ahan cleared his throat and kissed his mother's forehead before giving a stern look to Mayza, clearly telling her not to argue with anything that the older woman would say.

"Yeh khana hai? Zehr se kam nahi hai yeh. Namak itna kyu dala hai isme? Paise kya tumhare ghar wale de rahe hai?"

There it was again.

The jab on Mayza's family and their lack of dowry when the marriage had taken place.

The Ahmed family had lightly hinted on getting a few gifts from the Bukhari's but all their instances were turned down with a humorous laughter and set of jokes. Even after so many months, her mother-in-law had remained bitter about the lack of gold and cars as gifts for them.

"Pata nahi kaunsi musibat ghar le aayi hu main."

The older woman left the table, leaving Mayza alone to herself. Through her blurry vision, she broke a piece of the paratha and took a bite, smiling bitterly afterwards.

It tasted just fine.

Her wrist accidentally hit the table with a gentle force but the burn was still fresh and a wince left her lips. Her eyes stared at the mark on her wrist, unsure of how long she'd be able to take all this.

*****

It was another fatal night.

Ahan had not returned home yet and it was already 12. Wrapping her arms around herself, she paced around the living room, hoping to hear something from him soon. Her phone was clutched in her hands. All her phone calls to him had gone in vain.

The front door was soon opened and Mayza felt a breath of relief bubble past her throat. Though, it didn't last long when the state in which her husband arrived settled in her mind.

Ahan stumbled on his way to where his wife stood. Mayza's wide eyes looked at him in disbelief. The unpleasant stench made her want to puke and she took a frightened step back when Ahan made an attempt to grab her hand.

"A-Ahan, a-are you d-drunk?"

To her stuttering question, Ahan gave her a crooked smile and Mayza's heart couldn't take it anymore. Feeling suffocated to an extent that her vision had started to blur, her eyes zoomed themselves on a mark on her husband's neck. She examined it for a few seconds and within those few seconds, Mayza found her world crumbling at her feet.

It wasn't just a mark.

It was someone else's claim on him.

He had cheated.

And that was enough for her to make a decision.

"YOU CANNOT DO THIS!"

Ahan screamed at Mayza with the stack of papers clutched in a death grip in his hand. The papers that clearly stated that Mayza was asking for a divorce from him.

And she was so willing that her signs were already present wherever they were required.

Mayza stood still, not caring about his outburst or the potential harm that he might bestow her with. She had had enough of this family, of him.

One by one, she packed her belongings- her clothes, her jewelleries- and made sure to not touch anything that she had been given by the Ahmed family after her marriage.

"Sun rahi ho ya nahi? Kya mazak hai yeh?"

Ahan gripped her forearm, forcing her to face him and Mayza froze at the touch. His grip was painful and his presence was repulsive.

"Leave my hand."

Her voice was void of any emotion as her eyes stared dead into his. The tears had been locked away and the hurt that had at one point turned into rage settled in her brown eyes.

Ahan was taken aback by her expression. She had always been rainbows and smiles and to think she had a cell of anger within her was surprising.

"You think I'll let you walk away with this?"

"Leave. My. Hand."

Mayza emphasised each word with a calmness that instilled fear within him but he didn't let go. Instead, his grip turned painful after every second and Mayza had had enough.

Ahan did not know what hit him when Mayza kneeled him in the most sensitive part of his. The searing pain that shot through his body made him crumble on the floor while she glared at him. Her eyes spit fire and rage- anger of months had finally come to make its presence known.

"You are a menace to society. Not the buff and powerful one, but a coward and a loser who doesn't have the mind to think things through. I was stupid enough to let you control me and my choices for nearly an year but you know what they say? It's never too late. You're the worst chapter of my life and if it was in my hands, trust me Mr. Ahmed, you'd have been behind the bars right now, rotting the rest of your useless life to those lifeless walls and rodents. Be grateful I'm letting you off the hook or else, try playing with my life again and I'll show you just how much a woman with building rage within her can burn things and people to the ground."

Mayza picked up her hand and her luggage, ready to walk out of the room but an urge so powerful made her turn on her heels and hit the man who was already groaning on the floor with her bag. Once she saw the bruises of purple on his cheeks and the slightest tears in his eyes, she took in a sigh of relief and walked out of the house with her head held high.

On the way, her eyes met the older Ahmed woman's horrified once and she gave her a sickly sweet smile before uttering the words into the air with every bit of casualty.

"Aapka ek pair kabr mein pehle se hi hai, aunty. Kyu baddua dene par majbur kar rahi hai mujhe?"

Not waiting to see the lady's reaction, Mayza felt her heart brimming with new energy once she was out of the house that was no less than a prison. The air around embraced her gently, as though welcoming her home and she finally closed her eyes in solace.

A lesson had been learnt.

A life had been lived.

A chapter had closed.

And a journey had just begun.

*****

Present-

It was the day after she had seen him in the lobby- a day since she remained stacked in her hotel room, feeling as though she'd throw up anytime she saw his face.

She didn't fear him- no, what she feared was for the self that she had turned into in his presence. Meek like a rat, voiceless even after having the ability to speak and the constant knocks of doubt at the back of her mind.

Mayza had spent days trying to find her true self. Even after nearly a year since their separation, she was yet to find the cheerful spirit that had once resided in her.

She knew deep down that the lively spirit was still around. All it needed was a gentle push and reassurance that she'd never be forced into the shadows again.

"It's alright. You've paid for this trip and you damn well enjoy it."

She threatened herself via the mirror, staring seriously at her reflection, hoping to bring the tiniest bit of courage to just open the door and join the rest for the tour that was set for the day.

Rubbing her palms against the casual teal outfit that she wore, Mayza quickly tied her hair in a low bun, really not in the mood to care about it when she had legendary monuments waiting to hold her sight.

Applying sunscreen as though it were the base of her survival, she gave a gentle pat to her cheeks and stared at her reflection for a good few minutes. She didn't want to mistake the look in her eyes but a new feeling had seed itself within her and she knew it. She knew it by the way the lightest glimmer of hope crowned her brown irises, as though showing her just how stupid her negative thoughts were.

But self-confidence takes time to build.

Especially if it had been crumbled to the ground once.

Shaking her head lightly, she didn't notice the small smile that had come to rest on her lips. Throwing the black backpack that was filled with a few packets of snacks and flasks of chilled water, she hesitantly opened the door of her hotel room, murmuring words of reassurances to herself.

Taking in a deep breath, she let her shoulders stand straight in a posture of confidence and looked ahead only to be taken aback and a small yelp escaped her lips.

Her wide eyes looked at Humaid who was resembling no less than a deer caught in headlights. His eyes as wide as hers stared at her and when assessed closer, she could see the tint of red on the tip of his ears.

"I-ahm, hello."

He tried to act nonchalant as he cleared his throat after the mildly awkward greeting. Mayza blinked twice at him with a tilt of her head, confused and curious as to why he was standing right in front of her door.

"The crew is leaving in a few minutes. I just thought to check on you."

Humaid shrugged, trying to come off natural but the way his heart refused to calm down in his chest was a different story. He had spent the last 2 hours of the previous day with her in silence. The two had not spoken much and he didn't want to invade her privacy by prodding for answers that clearly didn't sound pleasant in his head. He had left after making sure that she was comfortable and well enough in the suite and had returned today in hopes of checking on her- but of course, that was a secret.

"Yeah, right. Sorry, late ho gaya tha. I'm ready now."

She gave him an excited smile lined with a tad bit of nervousness and Humaid couldn't help the way his lips stretched into a small smile on seeing the light in her eyes.

"Sounds good to go then. Ladies first."

He bowed in courtesy and Mayza felt a genuine laugh threading through the air. The humour in his eyes made her chuckle all through the while as he accompanied her down the hall and to where the buses were waiting.

"Your friend, Qizrah I believe, is in that one. She has a seat reserved for you already."

Humaid pointed at one of the buses lined ahead and Mayza couldn't believe her luck for the day. Offering him another one of her wide smiles, she got on the bus Humaid had pointed and was immediately tackled in a hug. Looks like Qizrah was already waiting for her not far from the entrance.

"Now now, ladies. If you could take your seats."

Humaid, who had got after Mayza, playfully glared at the two, asking them to behave and Mayza let out an exasperated sigh while Qizrah gave him a mean look.

"Of course, Mr. Mirza."

Qizrah rolled her eyes with equal playfulness and quickly pulled Mayza towards the seats she had saved for the two of them.

Mayza got comfortable on her seat and raising her head, her eyes met his and the two shared another pair of smiles, genuinely curious and positive about the day.

And maybe, just maybe, their hearts too had smiled but who knows, whether it was a touch of serenity from fate or just another chapter that would soon come to an end.

**********

*Clears my throat*

I hope- hope- the comment section remains clean. I mean, I don't mind seeing pretty words directed at the obvious person but...

Anyways, am I the only one or does anyone else feel the song in the air?

Haye, pehla pehla pyar...

Or is judai on its way?!

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